Expelled Liberal MP Moira Deeming makes move to kill Victorian rental inquiry

Expelled Liberal MP Moira Deeming has voted against her former colleagues to kill an inquiry into Victoria’s soaring rental costs.

Expelled Liberal MP Moira Deeming has voted against her former colleagues to kill an inquiry into Victoria’s rental crisis.

In a surprise move, Mrs Deeming voted with the Andrews government’s Labor MPs against a motion in the upper house to set up an independent probe into soaring rental costs.

It was proposed by the Greens and supported by the Coalition and other crossbenchers, which put it within range of being passed.

But Mrs Deeming, who on Friday was expelled from the parliamentary Liberal Party, sided with the government and was the deciding vote in bringing it to a deadlock.

Both sides had 19 votes each, meaning the motion could not pass.

Expelled Liberal MP Moira Deeming has voted against her former colleagues to kill an inquiry into Victoria’s rental crisis. Picture: Arsineh Houspian

Prior to Mrs Deeming’s move to the crossbench, she would have been likely to vote with her parliamentary Liberal colleagues or to give early notice if she planned to vote against the party position.

Almost two-thirds of the party room voted to remove her on Friday after a long-running dispute with senior leaders triggered after she attended a rally at parliament house gatecrashed by neo-Nazis.

She threatened to sue Opposition Leader John Pesutto after he refused to put out a public statement distancing her from this group.

Mrs Deeming is now preparing for a potential defamation case against Mr Pesutto.

Greens MP Gabrielle de Vietri said the government had turned their back on renters by voting against the inquiry.

“We’re seeing retired women sleeping in cars, and families with school kids living in tents,” she said.

“I’ve heard from renters that are struggling with rent hikes of $200 per week.

“Yet rather than find the solutions to help them, this Government has sided with the property industry and the right-wing crossbench to stall any meaningful reform.”

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